Saturday's 0-0 draw against Melbourne Heart may have left him still searching for his first win since taking over as Melbourne Victory coach but Jim Magilton is confident the tide is starting to turn.
Victory have endured a disappointing campaign so far in 2011-12, claiming only four wins and 22 points so far from 20 games and parting company with Mehmet Durakovic along the way.
But Magilton, who has also overseen a 1-1 draw with Adelaide United, a 4-1 defeat away to Perth Glory, a 2-2 draw against Sydney FC and a 1-1 draw with Gold Coast United in Launceston earlier this week, said he is confident his team can still have an impact this season.
"But we're getting there, I firmly believe we're getting there," Magilton said, "and regardless (of) what it looks to you guys (the media), to me I can see changes and I can see positivity and I can see things are going to change, I really do and as I say we're going to build on today."
"I know where I want to take the team and I know how I want to get there but (it's a case of) small building blocks and foundations have to be right and then we build on that."
Magilton conceded though that the form his players show on the training paddock needs to be transferred onto the pitch on match day.
"We are a long way short of where I want us to be and it drives me nuts," he added.
"It's the same old, same old, same old, you get it every week."
"We need to be better with the ball, we need to retain the ball."
"We do it every day in training, we've just got to instil that belief (that) when you cross the white line it's no different."
"That's when you should go out and enjoy it and express yourself and want to play."
Outplayed in the opening 45 minutes before responding in the second half, only to have to box on for the final quarter of an hour with 10 men after Grant Brebner's dismissal, Magilton did find positives in the performance.
And for him it's now all about 'momentum'.
"Sometimes out of this adversity you can get stronger and we should, we should use that and that's what it's all about," Magilton said.
"As the skipper (Adrian Leijer) said, there's still seven games to go, anything can happen."
"You go into there and what' he's talking about is momentum, momentum in football is massive."
"We just need to keep believing and throwing off the shackles, throwing off the shackles and going to express ourselves."